Norio Maeda & All Stars - Rock Communication "Yagi Bushi"

Year : 2017/1970
Label : Deep Jazz Reality/Teichiku Records

Serie : HMV Project Re:Vinyl

Genre : Jazz, Folk

Style : Fusion, Jazz Rock

"Rock Communication" is a concept fusion album by the piano master of japanese avant-garde (check his album "Revolution") featuring Kiyoshi Sugimoto, Kaoru Iiyoshi & Takeshi Inomata. As similar projects of drummer Akira Ishikawa, "Drum Yagibushi Drum" or saxophonist Kosuke Ichihara's "Now Sound '75" albums Norio Maeda revisits some popular standards of the japanese folk repertoire in the psychedelic rock style. During the late sixties and the early seventies, Norio Maeda collaborated as well as arranger and pianist to various jazz rock albums for eminent japanese jazz musicians among others the saxophonist Jiro Inagaki (This Is Jazz Rock), Akira Ishikawa (Bakishinba - Memories Of Africa) and Takeshi Inomata (Drum Method). 

MUSICIANS : Norio Maeda - piano - Kiyoshi Sugimoto - electric guitar - Mitsuo Murakami - rhythm guitar - Kaoru Iiyoshi - electric piano, Hammond organ - Mihiro Arai & Masahiro Arashi - bass - Koichi Uchida - vibes - Takeshi Inomata & Takahiro Suzuki - drums - Tetsuo Fushimi - trumpet - Shigeo Suzuki - flute, piccolo, clarinet, alto sax

Sadakazu Tabata - Smash In The Rock

Year : 1971

Label : Polydor

Genre : Jazz, Rock 'N' Roll

Style : Jazz Rock, Psychedelic Rock, Blues Rock

"Smash In The Rock" is a tribute to Rock 'N' Roll recorded by jazz & rock drummer Sadakazu Tabata. Introduced by the voice of Katsuya Kobayashi, a famous Japanese radio DJ (best known under the Mr. Music nickname), it includes various classic rock songs from Elvis Presley (Love Me Tender), Led Zeppelin (Moby Dick), blues standard by Freddie King (Hide Away) and originals compositions by Hiro Yanagida (Smash, His Salad Day's). Former member of the Jiro Inagaki's Soul Media, Sadakazu Tabata is a session musician who played in particular for japanese Blues/Folk Rock songstress Maki Asakawa and jazz pianist Masao Yagi. Sadakazu Tabata plays with the "Groovy 6" formed by the rock avant-garde organist, Hiro Yanagida, Masaru Imada from the Soul Media, Masaoki Terakawa (in groups George Otsuka Trio, The Count Buffalos, The Beat Generation) & Shigeo Suzuki (sideman for Terumasa Hino & Takeshi Inomata). 

LISTEN SAMPLE

Tadayuki Harada And His Group - Playboy's Theme

Year : 1968
Label : Nippon Columbia
Serie : Takt Jazz Series
Genre : Jazz, Latin Jazz
Style : Bossa Nova, Pop

Debut album as a leader by saxophonist Tadayuki Harada featuring the complete formation of the West Liners lead by drummer Takeshi Inomata including Hiroshi Okazaki, Norio Maeda and Masaru Imada. Former member of several prestigious japanese jazz formations such as "Sharps & Flats" of Nobuo Hara and The West Liners (from 1957 to 1966), Tadayuki Harada was a session musician in demand, playing for the greatest among pianist Toshiko Akiyoshi, Frank Sinatra, Marlene Dietrich, Helen Merrill, Sammy Davis Jr. or Salina Jones. In the late seventies, he was in groups "Wind Breakers" lead by pianist Norio Maeda and Takeshi Inomata & The Third. Titles include classics of Bossa Nova from Jorge Ben (Chove Chuva), Edu Lobo (For Me), pop covers from Bobby Hebb (Sunny), Burt Bacharach (The Look Of Love), and Jazz standard by Joe Zawinul (Mercy, Mercy, Mercy). All tracks arranged by Norio Maeda.

MUSICIANS : Tadayuki Harada - baritone saxophone - Shigeo Suzuki - alto saxophone - Hiroshi Okazaki - alto saxophone, flute - Ichiro Mimori & Yoichi Kanai - tenor saxophone - Tetsuo Fushimi & Kazutoshi Okubo - trumpet - Tatsuro Takimoto - bass - Sadanori Nakamure_- guitar - Norio Maeda & Masaru Imada - piano - Takeshi Inomata - drums - Yonosuke Segami - percussion

LISTEN SAMPLE

Hiroshi Suzuki & His Happy Cats - Up Up And Away

Year : 1969
Label : Nippon Columbia
Serie : Takt Jazz Series
Genre : Jazz
Style : Hard Bop, Soul Jazz

Hiroshi Suzuki, the most famous japanese trombonist, member of legendary quintet "Freedom Unity", in first work as a leader featuring Takeshi Inomata, Tetsuo Fushimi & Shigeo Suzuki. As many young japanese jazz musicians, Hiroshi Suzuki started in Sharps & Flats (conducted by saxophonist Nobuo Hara) and evolved in others big bands like The Tokyo Cuban Boys. Later, he becomes a session trombonist in demand playing as a sideman for trumpeter Terumasa Hino, guitarist Shungo Sawada or pianist Yuji Ohno. From 1968, he stands out on the duet album "Variation" with the Masahiko Togashi Quintet and thereafter joins the super jazz group, The Freedom Unity featuring Akira Ishikawa, Hiromasa Suzuki, Kunimitsu Inaba & Takeru Muraoka. Titles include pop & jazz covers from The Bealtes (The Fool On The Hill, Eleanor Rigby), Burt Bacharach (The Look Of Love), Fifth Dimension (Up Up And Away), Oliver Nelson (125th St. & 7th Avenue). "125th St. & 7th Avenue" was selected by Yasuharu Konishi from Pizzicato Five for his compilation "Midgnight Tokyo").

MUSICIANS : Hiroshi Suzuki - trombone - Shigeo Suzuki - alto saxophone - Ichiro Mimori - tenor saxophone - Shiro Ohno - baritone saxophone - Tetsuo Fushimi - trumpet - Tsuneo Shibata - bass - Shigeaki Ikeno - organ - Takeshi inomata - drums 

LISTEN SAMPLE

Jiro Inagaki + Soul Big Media - Jazz & Rock "Out"

Year : 1970
Label : Nippon Columbia
Genre : Jazz
Style : Jazz Rock, Big Band

[Jazz & Rock "Out"] is a recording live at Hibiya Amphitheater performed by an expanded group of the Soul Media band led by saxophonist Jiro Inagaki. From the original quintet to form the Soul Big Media, a brass ensemble is added featuring Tadayuki Harada, Shigeo Suzuki, Shunzo Ohno, Takashi Imai among others. Titles include "The Ground For Peace", taken from the Head Rock album, an variation of the "Head Rock" song called "Yie-Pie", the jazz standard "Freedom Jazz Dance" of Eddie Harris, the traditionnal Negro Spiritual "Oh ! Happy Day", the massive hit from  Blood, Sweat And Tears, "Spinning Wheel", and the classic Soul cover from Talma Motown, "You've Made Me So Very Happy".

MUSICIANS : Jiro Inagaki - tenor saxophone - Ryo Kawasaki - guitar - Yasuo Arakawa - bass - Masaru Imada - organ - Sadakazu Tabata - drums - Tetsuo Fushimi - trumpet - Tadayuki Harada - baritone saxophone - Shigeo Suzuki - alto saxophone - Takehisa Suzuki & Shunzo Ohno - trumpet - Takashi Imai & Shigemichi Domoto - trombone

LISTEN SAMPLE

Takeshi Inomata & His West Liners - Liner Note

LISTEN SAMPLE

 

Year : 1967
Label : Nippon Columbia
Serie : Takt Jazz Series
Genre : Jazz, Latin Jazz
Style : Cool Jazz, Bossa Nova, Afro-Cuban Jazz

"Liner Note" recorded in 1966, is the first original album by Takeshi Inomata released under the Takt Jazz Series of Nippon Columbia label. The West Liners lead by the legendary japanese drummer was originally formed as a sextet in 1957 with pianist/arranger Norio Maeda featuring Masaru Imada (p), bassist Tatsuro Takimoto (b), Sadanori Nakamure (g),  Shigeo Suzuki (as), Ichiro Mimori (ts) and Tetsuo Fushimi (tp). They were recruited as backing band by american songstress Helen Merrill when she was settle in Japan, recording "Helen Merrill In Tokyo" & "Sings Screen Favorites". Among others albums released by the band feature "Modern Top Hits" in 1965, come thereafter, "Paint It Black" in 1966,  "Come Together!" in 1969 and "My Way" in 1971. "Liner Note" is a blend of Jazz & Latin music including jazz standards of Miles Davis, George Gershwin & Herbie Hancock from Cool Jazz (All Blues), Modal (Freddie Freeloader, Cantaloupe Island) to Afro-Cuban Jazz (Afro-Blue), by Samba (La Grita) & Bossa Nova (Meditation, Panteno). All tracks arranged by Takeshi Inomata.